Plan for extreme weather

You must take reasonable steps (such as preparing food and water) to plan for your animals’ welfare in extreme weather. This should be part of your business planning when you know - or expect - livestock to be at risk during extreme weather.

You should check on your animals often and take necessary action (such as providing more water) if needed.

You should make sure livestock are protected from extreme weather and that food and water are available - you may need to cooperate with neighbours if supplies run short or access is difficult.

Get advice during extreme weather

Officials from local councils and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) monitor extreme weather situations. They work with the RSPCA, National Farmers’ Union (NFU), and other organisations who deal with farmers and animal welfare.

Disposing of dead animals

As the owner of a dead animal, you risk a fine or imprisonment if you don’t deal with any carcasses that are a health risk or nuisance.

After flooding, animal carcasses can end up in a range of places including fields, hedgerows, depressions,roads, canals, rivers, beaches and the sea.

You should try to identify any carcass that ends up on private or public land. If ownership can’t be proven then the landowner is responsible for disposing of it.

When authorities will deal with dead animals

When a carcass ends up on public land or highways, and it’s not possible to identify the owner, the local authority is responsible for disposal.

The Environment Agency will remove a carcass from a watercourse, but only if it creates a risk of pollution or further flooding and it can’t identify the carcass owner or landowner.

Local authorities (usually environmental health authorities) can also deal with any dead animals that are a health risk or a nuisance. They’ll normally arrange the removal for rendering or incineration.

Extreme cold weather

You must:

provide feed and water regularly

keep any drinking water troughs free of ice for animals kept outside

take water to animals regularly if any pipes or other water supplies are blocked

If you keep horses and ponies you must make sure that any you keep outside during winter have access to shelter at all times. If you can’t then you must move or permanently stable them.

Droughts and hot weather

You should have a plan for what to do if water supplies are interrupted. If supplies do fail you should identify alternative water sources, such as making arrangements with neighbours who have boreholes.